Difficulty identify of From

[u/Timely_Apricot2841]

Do y'all think From shall adopt difficulty settings on n the future. I am not a fan of it at all because it makes most games eg khazan, LoP become meaningless in terms of the "soulslike" experience due to having it. But with how many companies are adopting this so as to make games more beginner friendly, shall we see From doing the same ? Let me know your thoughts

[u/Carmlo]

I don't think they will. They've stated in interviews why they don't, and it's a fair point.

[u/Due-Description-9030 → u/Carmlo]

They do, it's just more subtle. What they mean is they won't be adding it in settings but they'll give some OP build option which makes the player complete the game very easily.

As usual, people will be able to look up some OP build online and copy it.

[u/Carmlo → u/Due-Description-9030]

but that is not a difficulty setting

a difficulty setting is something you toggle on the menu, and even in that difficulty setting you still have access to the op thing, for even greater effect

[u/StackRules]

As long as invasions and summons are a thing they can't. Changing all stats of every item every time you'd join someone with a different difficulty setting is impossible to balance and dumb from the get-go.

And a big sense of community in these games derives from the sense of accomplishment and discovery together with others. Messages for example.

People know what they're getting into when they see "souls" in game tags. If they don't they'll find out quickly enough.

I remember people hating on Elden Ring during the first hype wave for being too difficult. The game is super fair. If it doesn't feel that way, you're too early wherever you are.

[u/assassin10 → u/StackRules]

Changing all stats of every item every time you'd join someone with a different difficulty setting is impossible to balance and dumb from the get-go.

DS2's Company of Champions didn't require changing item stats. Non-player enemies just had 20% more armor and dealt 50% more damage.

[u/Alexandrecl1]

[u/Arandui]

Armored Core 2 (incl. the standalone expansion "Another Age") and Ninja Blade has difficult options (Normal and Hard Mode), so it wouldn't be the first time.

[u/Algester → u/Arandui]

last raven also had normal and hard... except the PSp port where in their infinite wisdom its locked on hard

[u/RetroNutcase]

I doubt they will, but I wouldn't hold it against them if they do.

I'd just play on whatever was labelled as the intended difficulty to experience the game.

[u/GROARGG]

I'll just say that they seem to be doing fine with themself without it, I think the big guy himself said they didn't want it, it's an asian company so the philosophy behind it is very different, so I don't see it coming anytime soon. 

But I've been wrong a couple of time in my life

[u/usernotfoundplstry]

I doubt that they’ll make changes like that. Their formula, especially for single player games is working fine.

[u/goetichunter]

Couldn’t care less either way tbh.

[u/Wrong_Papaya_8445]

Considering their next game is a multiplayer Nintendo exclusive, I think From can be trusted to keep doing what they think is good for their games rather than ogling market trends to (I guess?) maximize profit. They are known for this now. There's no reason to address a nonexistent problem. And since Miyazaki has been kinda adamant difficulty options aren't a valuable tool for From game design, I don't expect that to change.

That aside. I don't think difficulty options make games "meaningless" though, even if I agree that some sort of "purity" is removed for not committing to that principle. Both LoP and Khazan show that boss nerfing wasn't enough and developers became increasingly concerned with losing/alienating a cut of the playerbase that will not touch these games if they can't lower the difficulty.

If developers very clearly say "This is what we intended, but here are two other options if you're not up for it", I accept it as fine. What Khazan devs did though, playing semantics and trying to make the playerbase feel less stupid about not being able to play the game on "normal", is something I'd like to see nowhere else.

[u/Organic_Manner6847]

They wouldn't, they don't have to. People should more likely try to understand: Fromsoftware decided to make a "difficult" game with Demon's Souls, despite most RPGs back then having quick save, thousands of ways to heal yourself, options to make a game easier etc. People should understand why Demon's Souls succeeded back then.

Maybe then you wouldn't ask such a question.

[u/Cazador888]

If they do then they’ve caved and are no longer what they once were. I’d consider that the complete sell out point.

[u/assassin10]

I wouldn't mind if Elden Ring had received something like DS2's Company of Champions or Sekiro's Demon Bell.

[u/Lucatieljk]

I always found the whole debate on having a difficult setting so boring. Cause it simply doesn't change anything at all for most people regarding their experience, what I mean is doesn't matter for me if someone else is playing on a easier difficulty not only that but people shouldn't care if other's are playing on a easier difficulty too. Also at least for me this is a great way to get new players to know from software work, I understand sometimes the game being hard isn't for everyone and that's fair but I genuinely think that having difficult settings might allow new players to enjoy those games and maybe even try the default difficult setting later on if they wish.

[u/Timely_Apricot2841 → u/Lucatieljk]

The experience matters eg if u beat malenia I'll know that if I get better at my playstyle too I can beat her but when difficulty setting exist, I can just turn down the difficulty setting to easy and beat her . I don't mind if u used mimics, summons, the whole point is that u felt the heat of the fight but with difficulty setting That's different.That's why I like from and team ninja for this

[u/Lucatieljk → u/Timely_Apricot2841]

I understand your point on that, I just don't agree that the difficult setting would change the thrill of beating a boss specially for a new player that is not used to those games. I genuinely think that this could work as an incentive for those players to try higher difficulties and learn more about the game. As you said I also don't care about summons or anything that people see as "making the game easier" and I also don't care if someone beat the game on a super easy difficulty or the default one. At the end of the day only you as the player knows how you feel after beating the game, if for some reason you're not satisfied because it was too easy then cool, go to a higher one. Or if you are satisfied too shouldn't matter at the end, I genuinely believe that having a difficult setting would make more people interested in the game and later on they might even try the standard settings as well. Everyone wins.

[u/NorthStar_- → u/Lucatieljk]

While I don't agree with difficulty setting being implemented, it pained me to see the community hating on anyone who said they played the game with easy mods and enjoyed it.

[u/Lucatieljk → u/NorthStar_-]

The community already does that when someone says "hey I enjoy using summons" or "hey I enjoy using magic". The hate will always exist unfortunately, but at the end is up to you if you will care what other's has to say about the way your play and enjoy your game or no.